More than five years after her unexplained disappearance, family will gather today to remember the life of Erika Cirioni, of Norwich.

Cirioni, a mother of two, was 26 when she went missing on Dec. 31, 2006, and was last seen in downtown Norwich. Her skeletal remains were discovered March 18 in a wooded area off Oxoboxo Dam Road in Montville.

Visiting hours will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Byles Memorial Home, 99 Huntington St. in New London.

The cause of Cirioni’s death remains undetermined following a post-mortem examination at the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Erika’s mother, Carol Cirioni, said the return of her daughter’s remains and the chance to properly bury her daughter is an overdue opportunity to say goodbye — but will not bring complete closure.

Cirioni, a 1998 Norwich Free Academy graduate, is survived by her mother, Carol Mellow Cirioni, of Norwich; two sons, Brandon Norton and Destin Schwendeman; and three sisters, Lisa Mellow, Christina Mellow and Toni Moreno, all of Norwich. She was predeceased by a brother, Dominic Cirioni III, and a sister, Lori Anne Mellow.

Anyone with information about the ongoing police investigation is asked to call Norwich police detectives at (860) 886-5561 or the anonymous tip line at (860) 886-5561, Ext. 500.